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Mines and Mining.

Chrome Iron.

A Valuable Find in Los Angeles County.

For many years the miners in the Soledad canyon and its tributaries have found large quantities of black sand, or magnetic iron as some call it, which has a greater specific gravity than any other rock or quartz gravel found in the bars or bed of the stream, and it was believed there must be an immense ledge of this chrome iron somewhere in the mountains through which the canyon courses. John Lang of Lang's station some time since discovered a vast quantity of this valuable ore some four miles from his place and about two miles from the railroad. Believing his discovery to be of value, Mr. Lang sent some samples of it to San Francisco, where it proved to be chrome iron of a superior quality and of great value for the manufacture of pigments and paints. The ore will command $20 per ton. The deposit is of immense proportions, as at least 50,000 tons of it is exposed to view from the surface. A company is being formed now to export from this mine at an early day, which will no doubt prove very remunerative. An expert has lately visited the mine, who believes it to be of greater value than the richest gold or silver mine in this country. In the immediate vicinity are two well-defined mica ledges that also bid fair to be of great value, while but a short distance crude petroleum exudes from the bed rock at the foot of the cliff.

Placer gold is found the entire length of this canyon, and in two places there are fine veins of coal which indicate a very extensive bed. Very fine specimes of asbestos, copper and silver ore are also found abundantly in this portion of the Sierra Madre, or San Bernardino Range. These mountains appear to be loaded with minerals and valuable metals that have been waiting ages for the miners of this country to develop, and all that is necessary to do is to draw from these natural wealth vaults and enrich the honest toiler.

News article courtesy of Lauren Parker.